E-Books or Paper Books??

[Marc]

Ebooks now - mainly for the convenience.

I had a little hospital stay recently and well rather than worrying about multiple books, i had my tablet with a number of books loaded.

Same goes for doing long haul flights - don't worry about carrying multiple books, just have one tablet.

I will admit that physical books have one advantage - they wont break them if you drop them due to falling asleep.

Oh and even with 10.1 tablet as an e-book reader it's still lighter than a Tom Clancy Hard back and the font's larger than in Colleen McCollough's Maters of Rome Series (not to mention more portable).

 

[Relayer1]

^ Very romantic! And I agree with the sentiment. I should add that my heavily-used paperbacks are as treasured as my pristine, signed old and rare books.

My old paperbacks are most all in as good condition as my recently purchased ones - 'as new'.

I DON'T crease my paperbacks...

 

[HIjol]

...it is the tactility, the feel of the book for me...the way the paper page feels when I turn it...the weight of the thing...how the cover/dust jacket feels...I understand the convenience and appeal of e-books, but....

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I buy E-books exclusively.

I still have most of my old books, although sometimes I replace them with E-versions when I can.

No disrespect, but I don't have sentimental value attached to my books. I view them simply as methods to deliver words to my eyeballs, and it's a lot easier to shop for books on my iPad.

I'd replace ALL of my books with E-versions if I could afford it.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

^ Very romantic! And I agree with the sentiment. I should add that my heavily-used paperbacks are as treasured as my pristine, signed old and rare books.

My old paperbacks are most all in as good condition as my recently purchased ones - 'as new'.

I DON'T crease my paperbacks...

Overwhelmingly, neither do I. But there are a few books that I've had for years, that have been read many times over, in less than ideal conditions, that seem to have absorbed the essence of the experiences - just as HaventGotALife so articulately stated.

In general, I think it's important to take care of books. But even heavily used ones maintain (and even obtain) a measure of value, despite the use.

 

[Gov Kodos]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkuZ0PG-ejs[/yt]

Paper books for the most part. As mentioned above, physical books allow so many senses to take part in the enjoyment of the book beyond just assimilating the information while reading. The electronic formats are wonderful for acquiring a vaster library than my pocket would allow. 'The History of the Pyrates' for instance is a fun read, but it's not a must to have a physical copy unless it were an antique early edition. I'd rather download it from an online book site where it's public domain than pay twenty bucks for a cheap paperback.

If you're enjoying 'Black Sails' you might like that pirate book above. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_General_History_of_the_Pyrates

 

[HaventGotALife]

I buy E-books exclusively.

I still have most of my old books, although sometimes I replace them with E-versions when I can.

No disrespect, but I don't have sentimental value attached to my books. I view them simply as methods to deliver words to my eyeballs, and it's a lot easier to shop for books on my iPad.

I'd replace ALL of my books with E-versions if I could afford it.

That's a perfectly valid opinion. As passionate as I am about paper books, this was honestly a question. The reason I started the thread was to genuinely see what people think. I am surrounded by people who don't want E-Books (however, my friends that read are older than me), but I have found in various online communities (and media outlets) that I am going against the grain. So no apologizing for having a different opinion. No one is going to call you a heretic for abandoning the gods of the paper books.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

Heretics! Burn them!

Actually, when I worked at B&N, I was obligated to sell e-readers, tablets and e-books. And there really is a lot of benefit and convenience to them. But I do find the interaction to be less ... intimate ... than with a physical book. Also, I couldn't ever imagine owning a Caldecott Medal book on a tablet.

But for a lot of books - especially the ones where folks buy it, read it, and essentially dispose of it (i.e. never read it again) - the digital medium is not only convenient, it also saves paper (I'm not sure if the carbon footprint of the device itself outweighs that benefit, but I imagine that is the case).

 

[Gaith]

I wear specs for nearsightedness, but like to take them off to read books... which means I have to hold said book up fairly close to the eyes, not rest it on my lap or what-not, and this makes reading anything heavier books either very tricky or darned annoying. I have hardbacks of many of my favorite books in storage, and intend to put them on permanent display some day, but the kindle reading experience is pretty fantastic.

 

[HaventGotALife]

Heretics! Burn them!

Actually, when I worked at B&N...,

I worked there, too! What a coincidence! (Although I was in the Cafe, I still got a discount and used it A LOT!)

I was obligated to sell e-readers, tablets and e-books. And there really is a lot of benefit and convenience to them. But I do find the interaction to be less ... intimate ... than with a physical book. Also, I couldn't ever imagine owning a Caldecott Medal book on a tablet.

But for a lot of books - especially the ones where folks buy it, read it, and essentially dispose of it (i.e. never read it again) - the digital medium is not only convenient, it also saves paper (I'm not sure if the carbon footprint of the device itself outweighs that benefit, but I imagine that is the case).

My method is to try and find the book at my local library, read it, and then decide if I want to buy it or not. The last book I bought "blind" was The Hunger Games, which I have slated to be donated to the library. I cleared out my bookshelf 4 years ago and donated half of my library books which they sold or put into circulation all over the state. So I try to keep the carbon footprint to a minimum. But I understand not everyone does that and it can cut down. It still costs coal to run the thing, but it doesn't clear a whole forest of trees. (And I am left without the books if I donate them).

 

[Gov Kodos]

That coal is, basically, a lot of dead trees and other plants. So, as far as the tree is concerned, they're all booked for use sooner or later.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

Actually, when I worked at B&N...,

I worked there, too! What a coincidence! (Although I was in the Cafe, I still got a discount and used it A LOT!)

When I first started, as a Merch Manager, I trained for a whole week in the café. Needless to say, I had a new found respect for the people who worked there. There's no way I'd survive it on a regular basis!

My method is to try and find the book at my local library, read it, and then decide if I want to buy it or not. The last book I bought "blind" was The Hunger Games, which I have slated to be donated to the library. I cleared out my bookshelf 4 years ago and donated half of my library books which they sold or put into circulation all over the state. So I try to keep the carbon footprint to a minimum. But I understand not everyone does that and it can cut down. It still costs coal to run the thing, but it doesn't clear a whole forest of trees. (And I am left without the books if I donate them).

One of my biggest issues with e-books is their price. I have a hard time spending the $10-15 for a new release e-book and have no physical copy to show for it. I realize this is similar to the audio/video model for purchasing digital content. Then again, no one physically holds or interacts with a CD, Blu-Ray, DVD, cassette or record while experiencing the content. Books are different in that regard. They require physical contact to read. And when you're done, you have the option of sharing that book with others. So the notion of purchasing just the content, and having nothing to show for it afterward, much less the inability to share it with others, doesn't make sense for the prices e-books are currently being sold for.

Of course, the industry is still trying to find its footing with respect to digital content. There are very real costs in terms of bringing any book to publication (editing, artwork, marketing, etc.) and simply lowering e-book prices won't account for the investment publishers make to bring a title to the public. But I feel there is a happier medium that will reduce the cost of the content license for an e-book, while maintaining a healthy return-on-investment for the publishers.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I'm good with both. I have a Kindle Paperwhite. Honestly, the main factor for me is often price. Can I get it cheaper on my Kindle, or in dead tree form? Also, if it's something I need to flip around in a lot (like a reference book) I'd rather have the paper version.

I'm in no way a zealot about it, though. I think people will continue to own and enjoy paper books well into the future, and the ebook world will go on growing, too.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

if it's something I need to flip around in a lot (like a reference book) I'd rather have the paper version.

I've found that, for the purposes of an academic course, the e-book is vastly superior. Not only can I highlight and take notes, I can use keyword searches to find the specific passages I am looking for.

I'm in no way a zealot about it, though. I think people will continue to own and enjoy paper books well into the future, and the ebook world will go on growing, too.

Yep. E-books provide us all with just another option for reading books. And that's a good thing. They have their benefits and tradeoffs. But they aren't going anywhere. Fortunately, neither are paper books. I'm sure I've mentioned this elsewhere, but once you've held a first edition copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, signed by L. Frank Baum, to his wife, you never forget just how powerful a physical book can be.

 

[Amaris]

Bingo.

I love both as a medium, and while I do love e-books for their convenience, there's just something very right about holding an old, well-worn paper book in your hands. Sometimes it's like you're touching history, because the book you hold has been held by hundreds of others, gazed upon by hundreds of eyes, read by hundreds of different minds, and now all of you share its collective history.

I'm particularly this way about school books. I have more than half a dozen school books, ranging from the early to late 1900s, on topics ranging from mathematics to history, and inside the cover of each book is about a dozen names or more, signed in pencil, in pen; both cursive and print, and each time I pick one up, I know that generations before me did the same in their daily preparations for class, and it just resonates with me.

An e-book can't do that, nor is it there to do that. That is why I think print books will be around for a long, long time.

 

[HaventGotALife]

Still, I wonder if publishers will take the time to print the books. Rare book collecting is never going away, that is true. But will I be able to get the new releases in 2025 on paper? They stopped printing in vinyl. They stopped making VHS tapes. Will they stop making paper books? Will it become cheaper to release them electronically than running a printing press? Will demand be so low for paper books that it isn't costly to print books?

We have seen this happen with all sorts of industries. The Newspaper, put out of business by the internet. CDs are going away in favor of music downloads and the CDs that are printed, aren't as plentiful anymore. Record stores went out of business. Paper book stores are already going the way of the cassette. Do people still have cassette decks? yes. But try getting a Bruno Mars cassette.

It's cheaper on Amazon, almost 50% cheaper, to get the Kindle file than the paper book. They aren't new, true. But does that mean thrifty consumers will suddenly want to shell out the initial cost (200 dollars, less than a computer) and get the files that are more convenient?

I wonder. Which is why, I have used one, but I don't own any electronic books. I don't want to support the industry that could kill paper books.

 

[Amaris]

Still, I wonder if publishers will take the time to print the books. Rare book collecting is never going away, that is true. But will I be able to get the new releases in 2025 on paper? They stopped printing in vinyl. They stopped making VHS tapes. Will they stop making paper books? Will it become cheaper to release them electronically than running a printing press? Will demand be so low for paper books that it isn't costly to print books?

We have seen this happen with all sorts of industries. The Newspaper, put out of business by the internet. CDs are going away in favor of music downloads and the CDs that are printed, aren't as plentiful anymore. Record stores went out of business. Paper book stores are already going the way of the cassette. Do people still have cassette decks? yes. But try getting a Bruno Mars cassette.

It's cheaper on Amazon, almost 50% cheaper, to get the Kindle file than the paper book. They aren't new, true. But does that mean thrifty consumers will suddenly want to shell out the initial cost (200 dollars, less than a computer) and get the files that are more convenient?

I wonder. Which is why, I have used one, but I don't own any electronic books. I don't want to support the industry that could kill paper books.

Well, vinyl is making a comeback, and while technological progress does lead to the elimination of some formats, this generation will continue to see print books. Book stores and libraries will continue to exist, though they will probably become more consolidated, and much of their inventories made available online.

In favor of the e-book:

* As for cost, you can get a Kindle for $79, and a Nook for $50, and I am certain those prices will continue to fall as more and more e-readers are produced. Keep in mind, too, that e-book prices are artificially maintained.

* Amazon used to hold all ebook prices at 9.99, but as you can see if you visit their site, they can sometimes charge almost as much for the ebook as they do the print book. That means more money with less overhead.

* Authors may have better chances at being published if they go the e-book route. It costs little for Amazon to publish a new author and put their e-book up for sale online, and they get most of the immediate profits, which would motivate them to allow for many authors, which means more publishing, more e-books.


Against the e-book:

* What works against the e-format is that as long as you have enough light, a book is always ready to be read. E-readers lose power, they break, they can be wiped remotely. Of course, you have the word of their various manufacturers that they would never do such a thing, but Amazon has done this before.

* The more books that go exclusively online and into digital format don't leave a hardcopy for future generations. Technology becomes incompatible over time, and rarely is it future-proofed, as such future-proofing costs more money in the short term. So there is the possibility of losing vast swathes of written works due to a glitch in the system.


So there are pros and cons of each, but the technology is still so new, that I doubt it will be this generation, or the next, that will see the end of mass printed works. Don't worry, your book will still be available in paper format by 2025.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I think there will always be enough bibliophiles in the world to keep paper book industry afloat.

Ebooks are good for people with physical limitations, or for people who only want a book for its content, or for people who might be embarrassed about reading or buying a certain book, or for people with limited space etc.

But printed books are collectable for more than their content. There ae collectable for their beauty.

If I read an e-book (or listen to an Audible book) and I truly love I will buy a printed copy because I have decided that is worthy of a permanent place on my bookshelves. I did this recently with Anansi Boys (I had listened to the audiobook that was marvelously narrated by Lenny Henry).

It is possible that there might be more printing on demand in the future.

 

[HaventGotALife]

I have some books slated to be bought the next time I have money. Just looking at them, this is what I see:

The Art of Falling: Paperback ($12.33), Kindle edition ($6.15).
Let Me Tell You A Story: Paperback ($10.12), Kindle edition ($8.89).
Transgender 101: Paperback ($18.18), Kindle Edition ($9.99).

Now, there are books that are the same price and the Kindle, but I have yet to run into a book that I want where the Kindle is more expensive than the paperback.

 

[Amaris]

I have some books slated to be bought the next time I have money. Just looking at them, this is what I see:

The Art of Falling: Paperback ($12.33), Kindle edition ($6.15).
Let Me Tell You A Story: Paperback ($10.12), Kindle edition ($8.89).
Transgender 101: Paperback ($18.18), Kindle Edition ($9.99).

Now, there are books that are the same price and the Kindle, but I have yet to run into a book that I want where the Kindle is more expensive than the paperback.

Perhaps, but how much is a used copy of each of those books? I tend to pick up $28 hardbacks for less than $4, and even with shipping, it's cheaper than the Kindle version. Plus, there are plenty of books unavailable on the Kindle as of yet; mostly older, or out of print books, such as Polk Laffoon IV's "Tornado!" which I bought used, in good condition, for $6 (at the time). There is no Kindle equivalent.